What Do These Stones Mean?
A Sermon on Joshua 4:21-24
Scripture
21And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? 22Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. 23For the LORD your God dried …
Sermon Description
Most people have certain ways in which they remember or celebrate markers of significance in their lives. In a similar way, God told the Israelites to set up a pile of stones to mark the day they crossed over the Jordan River and into the land that God had promised to give them. In this sermon from Joshua 4:21–24 titled “What Do These Stones Mean?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows why monuments are important for the Christian walk. First, they point to their history, and this is very important since the Christian faith sets itself apart from false religions because it is based entirely on historical facts. Second, these markers call attention away from human action and towards God’s action, allowing focus on Him. The reason God acted in human history is because humanity was enslaved to sin and was in desperate need of intervention. Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages believers to look at milestones and monuments important to them and the Christian faith as reminders that the Lord is mighty to save.
Sermon Breakdown
- Christianity is based on historical facts and events, not philosophy or theories.
- The facts and events of Christianity are the result of God's actions, not man's actions.
- The Bible is a record of God's redemptive acts and interventions in history.
- God delivered the Israelites from bondage in Egypt through miracles like parting the Red Sea. This foreshadows God delivering us from the bondage of sin through Jesus.
- We are all helpless slaves to sin and cannot free ourselves, just as the Israelites were helpless under Pharaoh.
- God sent Jesus, His Son, to redeem us and reconcile us to Himself, just as He sent Moses to redeem the Israelites.
- The death and resurrection of Jesus are historical facts at the center of the Christian faith.
- The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the spread of the early church were the result of God's actions.
- God has intervened throughout history through events like the Reformation to preserve His church.
- God's acts are miraculous, supernatural, and beyond human understanding.
- This building points to God's judgment of sin as well as His power to save sinners.
- The message of this church is that God can save and transform even the worst of sinners through His almighty power.
- God will complete the work He has started. No enemy, including communism or atheism, can thwart His plans.
- We should rejoice in God's salvation and proclaim His mighty works to others.
Sermon Q&A
Understanding the Significance of a Church Building: Insights from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
What is the central meaning of a church building according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, a church building represents God's actions in history, not merely human achievements. He explains: "The uniqueness of our position, the unique message of this building is this. That though men have erected this building, what it's pointing to is what God has done, what the almighty has done, not men. It's a record of the activities of God." The building serves as a monument to God's redemptive acts throughout history, similar to how the stones at Gilgal testified to God's miraculous deliverance of Israel.
How does Christianity differ from philosophy and religion according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christianity is fundamentally based on historical facts and events, not just ideas or theories. He states: "Christianity is not a philosophy... While there is obviously a teaching and a doctrine which is a vital part of Christianity, that is not the first thing. What differentiates this is that it is first and foremost a record of historical events and historical facts." Unlike other religions which are "all based upon ideas," Christianity points to actual historical interventions by God in human history, making it unique among belief systems.
What miraculous events does Dr. Lloyd-Jones highlight as essential to the Christian faith?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones highlights several miraculous events including: - God's deliverance of Israel through the Red Sea and Jordan River - The incarnation of Christ ("God has been manifest in the flesh") - Christ's death on the cross ("God hath made him to be sin for us") - The resurrection ("God raised him from the dead") - Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit - Various revivals throughout church history
He emphasizes that these acts are "supernatural" and "miraculous," beyond human ability to produce or fully comprehend.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about the state of humanity without God's intervention?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes humanity as being in complete bondage and slavery to sin and Satan. He says: "Men and women are not free. They talk about freedom. Never have they been such slaves... The whole world is in slavery to the devil and sin the world, the flesh and the devil." He emphasizes that humanity is utterly helpless to free itself from this bondage: "Try as it will, mankind can't emancipate itself." This helpless condition is why God's intervention through redemptive acts is necessary.
How should Christians respond when people ask about the meaning of their church according to the sermon?
When people ask "what mean these stones?" (referring to the church building), Christians should explain that: 1. The building points to God's historical acts of redemption throughout history 2. It represents the supernatural and miraculous nature of God's work 3. It proclaims both judgment on sin and salvation through God's power 4. It offers hope to everyone regardless of their condition ("We preach a hope to all in a hopeless world") 5. It declares the certainty of God's ultimate victory and the completion of His purposes
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christians should boldly proclaim "It's God. What he has done, what he is doing and what he's going to do."
Itinerant Preaching
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.